De quatro maneiras que os homeẽs som geeralmente.
The True Nature of Wisdom
True wisdom is defined not by mere intellect, but by the virtuous application of understanding in one's daily life.
I think it is helpful to know the categories of understanding mentioned above, so that we can better understand ourselves and others—recognizing where we are gifted by the grace of our Lord God and where we fall short. Because they lack this knowledge, many people think they are well-informed when they aren't; they fail to grasp what is most important to them, even if they are doing well in other areas. On the contrary, others are so lacking in understanding that they do not learn well or declare what they want to say. And regarding the other parts, they pertain according to their state, offices, and qualities; by custom and knowledge of experiences, they know and understand more profitably than others who are very well-spoken; and yet, for good reason, they should be called of better understanding and more prudent; for wisdom, according to our proper language, is not merely in understanding and speaking, but in doing good and virtuously acting, so that it requires the fulfillment of the seven parts of understanding written above, or that they possess good proficiency in this manner: possessing the principal virtues with a reasoned practice of deeds and sciences that each one’s state requires, having a good and pure will with a right intention in all things, and a great and subtle understanding with good ingenuity for everything that is comprehensible and pleasing to do. With this in mind, I generally categorize all people into four types.
The Four Types of Men
The author categorizes humanity into four types based on the interplay between their intellectual capacity and the purity of their intentions.
First, some people have limited understanding and knowledge, along with bad and twisted intentions. Such a person is entirely bad, having no good in them except for the fact that they are a creature of our Lord God. Secondly, there are others who have great understanding and knowledge, but with malicious intentions, outside of true justice. Even if there is some good in them, they are more to blame and more hindered than others; they resemble demons who have subtle understanding but twisted intentions, always inclined toward every evil just as they are. Although they may accomplish great deeds for a time, and the world seems to grant them every pleasure, they don't escape their own faults. Certainly, most of the time I see them receiving their rewards in this life, even if those rewards are delayed by the secrets of Our Lord God. For others, the reward comes so soon and clearly that it should serve as a great and good example for everyone. Third, some people have limited understanding and knowledge, but their intentions are entirely just and right. These are called good people, wise and possessing good wisdom, whom our Lord God often provides for with His mercy, more abundantly and better than they know how to ask or even imagine. Fourth, there are others who have a great and subtle understanding of all the areas mentioned above, and their wills are pure, just, and upright in everything they do, with firm faith, love, fear, and good hope in our Lord God, and they guard the virtues. These are the most perfect of all, though few are found; they are properly called wise, prudent, discreet, and of good understanding, according to the true custom of our speech among those who understand well.
Read the original Latin
A repartiçom suso scripta do entendimento me parece bem de sabermos pera conhecer, nos e os outros, em quaaes partes somos per graça de Nosso Senhor Deos razoadamente avondados, e em quaaes fallidos; ca per mingua de tal conhecimento muytos se julgam por bem entendidos, que o nom som, porque fallecem no que lhes mais compre, ainda que doutras partes sejam em boo stado. E per o contrairo outros teem que som mynguados do entendimento por bem nom aprenderem ou declararem o que dizer querem. E no que aas outras partes perteecem segundo seu stado, oficios e hidades, per costume e saber das esperiencias sabem e entendem mais proveitosamente que outros de pallavras muyto abastados; e porem com razom devem seer chamados de melhor entendimento e mais sesudos; ca o siso, segundo nossa dereita linguagem, nom esta no entender, e falar soomente, mas em bem e virtuosamente obrar, pera que se requere comprimento das sete partes do entendimento suso scriptas, ou que se ajam em boa soficiencia, em esta guisa: possuyndo as principaaes virtudes com razoada pratica dos feitos e sciencias que a cada hũu stado se requere, avendo boa e chãa voontade com dereita tençom em todallas cousas, e o entender grande e sotil com boo engenho a todo que lhe compre e praz de fazer. E sobresto consiiro em geeral quatro maneiras de todos homeens.
Primeiramente, algũus de pequeno entender e saber, de maas e revessadas voontades. E tal he todo maao, e sem outro bem, fora de seer criatura de Nosso Senhor Deos.
Segunda, outros que teem grande entender e saber, com malleciosas voontades, fora de justiça dereita. E taaes, ainda que tenham algũa parte de bem, som mais de culpar, e mais empeecivees que os outros, semelhantes aos demonyos de sotil entender e revesadas entençoões, inclinados sempre a todo mal como elles; os quaes, ainda que per algũu tempo acabem grandes feitos, e o mundo pareça que lhes vem a todo seu prazer, nom scaparom de suas emendas. E certamente as mais das vezes os vejo receber na vyda presente seus galardoões; ainda que tardem, per os segredos de Nosso Senhor Deos; e a outros vem tam cedo e claro, que a todos devya seer grande e boo enxemplo.
Terceira, algũus que som de curto entender e saber, mas teem as voontades todas justas e dereitas. Estes som chamados boos homees, symprezes, e de boa sympreza, aos quaaes Nosso Senhor Deos muytas vezes provee com a sua mercee, mais largamente e melhor que elles sabem demandar nem pensar.
Quarta, outros que som de muy grande e sotil entender em todallas partes suso scriptas, e suas voontades som bem chãas, justas e dereitas em todos feitos, com firme fe, amor, temor, boa sperança de Nosso Senhor Deos, e guarda das virtudes. Taaes como estes sam mais perfeitos que todos, de que poucos se acham; e propriamente som chamados sesudos, prudentes, discretos, e de boo entendimento, segundo verdadeiro costume de nosso fallar, daquelles que o bem entendem.
The Loyal Counselor — Opening companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit